1. Alfawaz H, Al-Onazi M, Bukhari SI, Binobead M, Othman N, Algahtani N, Bhat RS, Moubayed NMS, Alzeer HS, El-Ansary A. {{The Independent and Combined Effects of Omega-3 and Vitamin B12 in Ameliorating Propionic Acid Induced Biochemical Features in Juvenile Rats as Rodent Model of Autism}}. {Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN}. 2018; 66(3): 403-13.
Metabolites of proper fatty acids modulate the inflammatory response and are essential for normal brain development; equally, abnormal fatty acid metabolism plays a critical role in the pathology of autism. Currently, dietary supplements are often used to improve the core symptoms of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study analyzed the effects of orally supplemented omega-3 (omega-3) and vitamin B12 on ameliorating oxidative stress and impaired lipid metabolism in a propionic acid (PPA)-induced rodent model of autism, together with their effect on the gut microbial composition, where great fluctuations in the bacterial number and strains were observed; interestingly, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 induced higher growth of the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and decreased the survival rates of Clostridia sp. as well as other enteric bacterial strains. Thirty-five young male western albino rats were divided into five equal groups. The first group served as the control; the second group was given an oral neurotoxic dose of PPA (250 mg/kg body weight/day) for 3 days. The third group received an oral dose of omega-3 (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 30 days after the 3-day PPA treatment. Group four was given an oral dose of vitamin B12 (16.7 mg/kg/day) for 30 days after PPA treatment. Finally, group five was given a combination of both omega-3 and vitamin B12 at the same dose for the same duration after PPA treatment. Biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress and impaired fatty acid metabolism were investigated in the brain homogenates of each group. The effects of the dietary supplements on the gut microbiota were also observed. The PPA-treated autistic model expressed significantly higher levels of lipid peroxides and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and significantly less glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) than the control group. However, a remarkable amelioration of most of the impaired markers was observed with oral supplementation with omega-3 and vitamin B12, either alone or in combination. Our results concluded that impairment at various steps of the lipid metabolic pathways may contribute to the development of autism; however, supplementation with omega-3 and vitamin B12 can result in a positive therapeutic effect.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
2. Asmika A, Oktafiani LDA, Kusworini K, Sujuti H, Andarini S. {{Autistic Children Are More Responsive to Tactile Sensory Stimulus}}. {Iranian journal of child neurology}. 2018; 12(4): 37-44.
Objective: This research was an experimental study that was aimed to detect differences response of tactile sensory stimulus between normal children and children with sensory brain development disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Materials & Methods: A total of 134 children, in two groups including 67 healthy children (control) and 67 children with autism were studied. Tactile sensory stimulus responses in children were tested directly using a Reflex Hammer. In addition, tactile sensory sensitivity was also assessed via questionnaire Short Sensory Profile (SSP) filled out by the child’s parents. All response data were analyzed using Fisher’s Exact Test; questionnaire data was analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U Test. Results: Autistic children were more sensitive to palpation and pain than children who were not autistic. Furthermore, the value of SSP was also significantly higher (P<0.05) in autistic children, which means that they always responded to all categories in the SSP questionnaire than children who are not autistic. Conclusion: Autistic children are more sensitive to tactile sensory stimulus and all categories of SSP than children who are not autistic. Lien vers Pubmed
3. Ben-Itzchak E, Nachshon N, Zachor DA. {{Having Siblings is Associated with Better Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Journal of abnormal child psychology}. 2018.
Sibling relationships play a unique developmental role, especially in emotional and social domains. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social-communication skills are often impaired in comparison to typical development. Therefore, studying siblings’ effects on social skills of the child with ASD is important. This retrospective study examined how autism severity and functioning were affected by having older and younger sibling/s, the sex of the index child and of the sibling, and the number of siblings. The study population included 150 participants with ASD (mean age = 4:0 +/- 1:6), divided into three equal groups (no sibling, older and younger siblings), matched for cognitive level. The evaluation included neurological and standardized behavioral, cognitive, and functional assessments. Children with ASD with older siblings showed less severe social interaction deficits and better social adaptive skills than only children. No significant differences in autism severity and adaptive functioning were noted between the group with younger siblings and the other groups. The more older siblings the affected child had, the better their social functioning. The sex of the participants with ASD and that of the sibling were not associated with social functioning. Social interaction deficits, the presence of older or younger siblings for children with ASD, and higher cognitive ability contributed significantly to the explained variance (48.9%) in social adaptive skills. These findings emphasize that older siblings positively influence the social skills of their younger sibling with ASD. The effect of typically developing younger siblings was modest and seen only in children with ASD and better cognition.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
4. Bottema-Beutel K, Kim SY, Miele DB. {{College Students’ Evaluations and Reasoning About Exclusion of Students with Autism and Learning Disability: Context and Goals may Matter More than Contact}}. {Journal of autism and developmental disorders}. 2018.
This study used mixed-effects logistic regression to examine undergraduates’ (N = 142) evaluations and reasoning about scenarios involving disability-based exclusion. Scenarios varied by disability [autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus learning disability (LD)], the context of exclusion (classroom versus social), and whether or not a grade was at stake. Participants were more likely to determine exclusion was acceptable if the excluded student had an ASD diagnosis, there was a grade at stake, and it occurred in a classroom. Exclusion was less likely to be considered acceptable in the « no grade » compared to the « grade » conditions for LD students, but remained high in both conditions for autistic students. This study also describes contextual variations in participants’ justifications for their evaluations.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
5. Canigueral R, Hamilton AFC. {{Do Beliefs About Whether Others Can See Modulate Social Seeking in Autism?}}. {Journal of autism and developmental disorders}. 2018.
Autistic people process gaze differently than typical people, but it is not yet clear if these differences lie in the processing of eye-shapes or the belief in whether others can see (perceptual mentalizing). We aimed to investigate whether these two models of gaze processing modulate social seeking in typical and autistic adults. We measured preferences of participants to view videos of an actress with visible or hidden eyes, who can or cannot see out. While typical participants preferred videos where the actress can see through and has visible eyes, autistic people showed no preference for these videos. These findings are discussed in the context of perceptual mentalizing and the social motivation theory of autism.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
6. Dadalko OI, Travers BG. {{Evidence for Brainstem Contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Frontiers in integrative neuroscience}. 2018; 12: 47.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects one in 59 children in the United States. Although there is a mounting body of knowledge of cortical and cerebellar contributions to ASD, our knowledge about the early developing brainstem in ASD is only beginning to accumulate. Understanding how brainstem neurotransmission is implicated in ASD is important because many of this condition’s sensory and motor symptoms are consistent with brainstem pathology. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to integrate epidemiological, behavioral, histological, neuroimaging, and animal evidence of brainstem contributions to ASD. Because ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition, we examined the available data through a lens of hierarchical brain development. The review of the literature suggests that developmental alterations of the brainstem could have potential cascading effects on cortical and cerebellar formation, ultimately leading to ASD symptoms. This view is supported by human epidemiology findings and data from animal models of ASD, showing that perturbed development of the brainstem substructures, particularly during the peak formation of the brainstem’s monoaminergic centers, may relate to ASD or ASD-like behaviors. Furthermore, we review evidence from human histology, psychophysiology, and neuroimaging suggesting that brainstem development and maturation may be atypical in ASD and may be related to key ASD symptoms, such as atypical sensorimotor features and social responsiveness. From this review there emerges the need of future research to validate early detection of the brainstem-based somatosensory and psychophysiological behaviors that emerge in infancy, and to examine the brainstem across the life span, while accounting for age. In all, there is preliminary evidence for brainstem involvement in ASD, but a better understanding of the brainstem’s role would likely pave the way for earlier diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
7. Heffron JL, Spassiani NA, Angell AM, Hammel J. {{Using Photovoice as a participatory method to identify and strategize community participation with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities}}. {Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy}. 2018: 1-14.
BACKGROUND: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experience barriers to community participation, yet their insider experiences of environmental barriers and supports to participation are largely absent from the literature. AIM/OBJECTIVE: The aims of this research were to evaluate Photovoice as a participatory research method, examine environmental barriers and supports to community participation, and develop strategies to support self-determination and community participation for and with people with I/DD. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study utilized a participatory action research (PAR) approach in which participants used Photovoice during interviews and audits of participation environments to identify high interest participation activities and document supports and barriers in these environments. Data analysis utilized an iterative, participatory approach in which researchers and participants teamed up to select, contextualize, and codify the data. Thematic analyses involved both inductive and realist approaches. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Participants included 146 community-dwelling adults with I/DD from three U.S. urban sites. We present a conceptual model of nine themes at microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem environmental levels. CONCLUSIONS: Using Photovoice as a participatory method to strategize community participation can help ground systems change efforts in the voices of people with I/DD. SIGNIFICANCE: By including people with I/DD in conversations that concern them, researchers and practitioners can support this population in ways that they find meaningful.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
8. Lahbib S, Leblond CS, Hamza M, Regnault B, Lemee L, Mathieu A, Jaouadi H, Mkaouar R, Youssef-Turki IB, Belhadj A, Kraoua I, Bourgeron T, Abdelhak S. {{Homozygous 2p11.2 deletion supports the implication of ELMOD3 in hearing loss and reveals the potential association of CAPG with ASD/ID etiology}}. {Journal of applied genetics}. 2018.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by early-onset difficulties in social communication and unusually restricted, repetitive behavior and interests. Parental consanguinity may lead to higher risk of ASD and to more severe clinical presentations in the offspring. Studies of ASD families with high inbreeding enable the identification of inherited variants of this disorder particularly those with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. In our study, using copy number variants (CNV) analysis, we identified a rare homozygous deletion in 2p11.2 region that affects ELMOD3, CAPG, and SH2D6 genes in a boy with ASD, intellectual disability (ID), and hearing impairment (HI). This deletion may reveal a new contiguous deletion syndrome in which ELMOD3, known to be implicated in autosomal recessive deafness underlies the HI of the proband and CAPG, member of actin regulatory proteins involved in cytoskeletal dynamic, an important function for brain development and activity, underlies the ASD/ID phenotype. A possible contribution of SH2D6 gene, as a part of a chimeric gene, to the clinical presentation of the patient is discussed. Our result supports the implication of ELMOD3 in hearing loss and highlights the potential clinical relevance of 2p11.2 deletion in autism and/or intellectual disability.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
9. Obara T, Ishikuro M, Tamiya G, Ueki M, Yamanaka C, Mizuno S, Kikuya M, Metoki H, Matsubara H, Nagai M, Kobayashi T, Kamiyama M, Watanabe M, Kakuta K, Ouchi M, Kurihara A, Fukuchi N, Yasuhara A, Inagaki M, Kaga M, Kure S, Kuriyama S. {{Potential identification of vitamin B6 responsiveness in autism spectrum disorder utilizing phenotype variables and machine learning methods}}. {Scientific reports}. 2018; 8(1): 14840.
We investigated whether machine learning methods could potentially identify a subgroup of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who show vitamin B6 responsiveness by selected phenotype variables. We analyzed the existing data from our intervention study with 17 persons. First, we focused on signs and biomarkers that have been identified as candidates for vitamin B6 responsiveness indicators. Second, we conducted hypothesis testing among these selected variables and their combinations. Finally, we further investigated the results by conducting cluster analyses with two different algorithms, affinity propagation and k-medoids. Statistically significant variables for vitamin B6 responsiveness, including combination of hypersensitivity to sound and clumsiness, and plasma glutamine level, were included. As an a priori variable, the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS) scores was also included. The affinity propagation analysis showed good classification of three potential vitamin B6-responsive persons with ASD. The k-medoids analysis also showed good classification. To our knowledge, this is the first study to attempt to identify subgroup of persons with ASD who show specific treatment responsiveness using selected phenotype variables. We applied machine learning methods to further investigate these variables’ ability to identify this subgroup of ASD, even when only a small sample size was available.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
10. Oruc I, Shafai F, Iarocci G. {{Link Between Facial Identity and Expression Abilities Suggestive of Origins of Face Impairments in Autism: Support for the Social-Motivation Hypothesis}}. {Psychological science}. 2018: 956797618795471.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties with processing identity and expression in faces. This is at odds with influential models of face processing that propose separate neural pathways for the identity and expression domains. The social-motivation hypothesis of ASD posits a lack of visual experience with faces as the root cause of face impairments in autism. A direct prediction is that identity and expression abilities should be related in ASD, reflecting the common origin of face impairment in this population. We tested adults with and without ASD ( ns = 34) in identity and expression tasks. Our results showed that performance in the two domains was significantly correlated in the ASD group but not in the comparison group. These results suggest that the most likely origin for face impairments in ASD stems from the input stage impacting development of identity and expression domains alike, consistent with the social-motivation hypothesis.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
11. Ozyurt G, Dinsever Elikucuk C, Tufan AE, Baykara B. {{Are language features and emotion regulation related to maternal depression in autism and language delay?}}. {Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society}. 2018; 60(10): 931-7.
BACKGROUND: Language and communication are very important in child social, emotional and cognitive development. Delay in language is usually the first complaint for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or developmental language delay (DLD). This study evaluated language features and emotion regulation skills in children diagnosed with ASD and DLD and their association with maternal depression. METHOD: The sample consisted of children aged 24-54 months diagnosed with ASD (n = 31), or with DLD (n = 45), and 52 healthy controls. The Test of Early Language Development (TELD-3) was used to evaluate language profiles, and the beck depression inventory (BDI) was used to examine maternal depression. Children’s emotion regulation skills were evaluated using the emotion regulation checklist. RESULTS: Children with DLD had a significantly higher developmental age, were linguistically more developed and had better emotion regulation than the ASD group. All domains of language on TELD-3 except expressive syntax were more developed in DLD. Maternal BDI score did not differ significantly between DLD and ASD. Both of these disorders were not associated with maternal depression. CONCLUSION: Children with DLD were less impaired than children with ASD, both in terms of language and in emotion regulation.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
12. Pirrone A, Wen W, Li S, Baker DH, Milne E. {{Autistic Traits in the Neurotypical Population do not Predict Increased Response Conservativeness in Perceptual Decision Making}}. {Perception}. 2018: 301006618802689.
Recent research has shown that adults and children with autism spectrum disorders have a more conservative decision criterion in perceptual decision making compared to neurotypical individuals, meaning that autistic participants prioritise accuracy over speed of a decision. Here, we test whether autistic traits in the neurotypical population correlate with increased response conservativeness. We employed three different tasks; for two tasks we recruited participants from China ( N = 39) and for one task from the United Kingdom ( N = 37). Our results show that autistic traits in the neurotypical population do not predict variation in response criterion. We also failed to replicate previous work showing a relationship between autistic traits and sensitivity to coherent motion and static orientation. Following the argument proposed by Gregory and Plaisted-Grant, we discuss why perceptual differences between autistic and neurotypical participants do not necessarily predict perceptual differences between neurotypical participants with high and low autistic traits.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
13. Ramezani M, Lotfi Y, Moossavi A, Bakhshi E. {{Auditory brainstem response to speech in children with high functional autism spectrum disorder}}. {Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology}. 2018.
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) provides useful information about the auditory brainstem pathway. However, there is little known about the subcortical speech processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the subcortical speech processing in children with high functioning ASD. Twenty-eight children with ASD, with a mean age of 14.36 +/- 1.86, and 28 typically developing (TD) children, with a mean age of 14.99 +/- 1.92, were selected from Rofeydeh Rehabilitation Hospital (Tehran, Iran), and speech ABR (sABR) with a 40 ms synthetic /da/ syllable stimulus was recorded. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age and IQ. Latencies of all waves in sABR and duration of V-A complex were significantly longer in children with ASD than in TD children. It was concluded that patients with ASD have deficits in the temporal neural encoding of speech at the brainstem level. Further studies are needed to generalize this result.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
14. Ruble L, McGrew JH, Snell-Rood C, Adams M, Kleinert H. {{Adapting COMPASS for youth with ASD to improve transition outcomes using implementation science}}. {School psychology quarterly : the official journal of the Division of School Psychology, American Psychological Association}. 2018.
Implementation science provides guidance on adapting existing evidence based practices (EBPs) by incorporating implementation concerns from the start. Focus-group methodology was used to understand barriers and facilitators of transition planning and implementation for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who often experience disparate postsecondary outcomes compared to peers. Results were used to modify an evidence-based consultation intervention originally applied to young students with ASD, called the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS; Ruble, Dalrymple, & McGrew, 2012). Because consultation is a multilevel EBP, two existing implementation science frameworks were used to guide adaptation: the Framework for Evidence Based Implementation and Intervention Practices (Dunst & Trivette, 2012) and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (Damschroder et al., 2009). The purpose of this article is to describe a process of adaptation of COMPASS that may be useful for other implementation science studies of consultation interventions, teacher acceptability, feasibility, and burden, and parent/student satisfaction with the adapted intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
15. Scherf KS, Griffin JW, Judy B, Whyte EM, Geier CF, Elbich D, Smyth JM. {{Improving sensitivity to eye gaze cues in autism using serious game technology: study protocol for a phase I randomised controlled trial}}. {BMJ open}. 2018; 8(9): e023682.
INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairments in social communication. Core symptoms are deficits in social looking behaviours, including limited visual attention to faces and sensitivity to eye gaze cues. We designed an intervention game using serious game mechanics for adolescents with ASD. It is designed to train individuals with ASD to discover that the eyes, and shifts in gaze specifically, provide information about the external world. We predict that the game will increase understanding of gaze cues and attention to faces. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Social Games for Adolescents with Autism (SAGA) trial is a preliminary, randomised controlled trial comparing the intervention game with a waitlist control condition. 34 adolescents (10-18 years) with ASD with a Full-Scale IQ between 70 and 130 and a minimum second grade reading level, and their parents, will be randomly assigned (equally to intervention or the control condition) following baseline assessments. Intervention participants will be instructed to play the computer game at home on a computer for ~30 min, three times a week. All families are tested in the lab at baseline and approximately 2 months following randomisation in all measures. Primary outcomes are assessed with eye tracking to measure sensitivity to eye gaze cues and social visual attention to faces; secondary outcomes are assessed with questionnaires to measure social skills and autism-like behaviours. The analyses will focus on evaluating the feasibility, safety and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: SAGA is approved by the Institutional Review Board at Pennsylvania State University (00005097). Findings will be disseminated via scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals and to participants via newsletter. The intervention game will be available to families in the control condition after the full data are collected and if analyses indicate that it is effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02968225.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
16. Sedgewick F, Hill V, Pellicano E. {{‘It’s different for girls’: Gender differences in the friendships and conflict of autistic and neurotypical adolescents}}. {Autism : the international journal of research and practice}. 2018: 1362361318794930.
This mixed-methods study examined gender differences in the friendships and conflict experiences of autistic girls and boys relative to their neurotypical peers. In total, 102 adolescents (27 autistic girls, 26 autistic boys, 26 neurotypical girls, and 23 neurotypical boys), aged between 11 and 18 years completed the Friendship Qualities Scale, the Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire and were interviewed about their friendships. Results demonstrated that in many ways, the friendships and social experiences of autistic girls are similar to those of neurotypical girls. Autistic girls, however, have significantly more social challenges than their neurotypical peers, experiencing more conflict and finding that conflict harder to manage successfully. Autistic boys showed quantitatively different friendship patterns to all other groups. There were consistent gender differences in the type of conflict which boys and girls experienced, regardless of diagnostic status. These findings suggest that gender, rather than diagnosis per se, plays a critical role in the way that autistic adolescents perceive and experience their social relationships.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
17. Solomon R. {{Commentary: Evidence based interventions for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care}. 2018.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
18. Yamagata B, Itahashi T, Fujino J, Ohta H, Nakamura M, Kato N, Mimura M, Hashimoto RI, Aoki Y. {{Machine learning approach to identify a resting-state functional connectivity pattern serving as an endophenotype of autism spectrum disorder}}. {Brain imaging and behavior}. 2018.
Endophenotype refers to a measurable and heritable component between genetics and diagnosis, and the same endophenotype is present in both individuals with a diagnosis and their unaffected siblings. Determination of the neural correlates of an endophenotype and diagnosis is important in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, prior studies enrolling individuals with ASD and their unaffected siblings have generally included only one group of typically developing (TD) subjects; they have not accounted for differences between TD siblings. Thus, they could not differentiate the neural correlates for endophenotype from the clinical diagnosis. In this context, we enrolled pairs of siblings with an ASD endophenotype (individuals with ASD and their unaffected siblings) and pairs of siblings without this endophenotype (pairs of TD siblings). Using resting-state functional MRI, we first aimed to identify an endophenotype pattern consisting of multiple functional connections (FCs) then examined the neural correlates of FCs for ASD diagnosis, controlling for differences between TD siblings. Sparse logistic regression successfully classified subjects as to the endophenotype (area under the curve = 0.78, classification accuracy = 75%). Then, a bootstrapping approach controlling for differences between TD siblings revealed that an FC between the right middle temporal gyrus and right anterior cingulate cortex was substantially different between individuals with ASD and their unaffected siblings, suggesting that this FC may be a neural correlate for the diagnosis, while the other FCs represent the endophenotype. The current findings suggest that an ASD endophenotype pattern exists in FCs, and a neural correlate for ASD diagnosis is dissociable from this endophenotype. (250 words).
